The Rules of Choosing and Placing a Kitchen Island

The kitchen is where we spend our time to fulfill our primary need, which is to eat. By adding a kitchen island, we open the possibility for other people to join us at our ritual. It is no longer a solitude fulfillment but also a social act.

Having a kitchen island can save us from the trouble of building a dining room too. Also, it means that the people who can eat with us are the chosen people. Kitchen island shows our trust and openness toward the people we invite. We, as the house owner, cook and eat with our hosts witnessing the whole process.

But placing and choosing the right kitchen island is not an easy task. Here are the rules that you need to know.

The kitchen island size depends on the surrounding

The average size of a kitchen island is one by two meters. And at least there is one meter of clearance from the isle to the things nearby. A bigger isle might contain a bigger oven and more shelves for kitchen utensils, but it also means that you need more space for it.

Consider also whether your kitchen is an L or U shape kitchen. With an L shape kitchen, the placing of the isle should be in proportion to the cabinets and corners the isle is facing. With a U shape kitchen, the setting of the isle must not obstruct you when you open the shelves in front of it.

But if you do not have enough space, no need to worry, we can still figure something out:

Repurpose a cabinet

A kitchen isle is basically a cabinet on top of which we can prepare the meal and serve it. Cabinets are generally designed to save space and have multiple shelves, which can be beneficial if you use one as a kitchen isle.

High bar table

A high bar table with separate dish containers beneath it can give you the same features that a kitchen isle has, although you definitely cannot cook on it.

Butcher island ledge

When you see the ledge of the butcher’s store, have you ever wondered to place the same furniture in your house? Incorporate it into the wall, and you will find yourself with an isle that does not take space.

Have one primary purpose of the isle

An isle can contain the dishes, appliances, an oven, a stove, and a sink. But in the end, you must choose whether you use the isle for dining and storing the dishes, for cooking and dining, or for cooking and storing.

A kitchen Isle with stools is for dining, and the other one without seats is solely for cooking and storing. The isle that has a sink is also best suited for meal preparing because you should consider how uncomfortable it is going to be for your hosts to eat near the sink.

Integrate the isle with the principal of kitchen working triangle

The kitchen triangle is formed by the positioning of the kitchen storage, where you get the necessary ingredients, the stove, where you cook, and the sink, where you clean the utensils. If you decide that the isle takes one or two roles from the kitchen triangle, you should think of whether that decision can affect the efficiency of your mobility.